For those of you who’ve already invested millions in HUVrTech, the supposed inventor of the Back to the Future-like hover board, you might want to see if you can get your money back. Turns out the viral video featuring the hover board in action is the product of the folks over at Funny or Die.
On Tuesday, HUVr tech posted an enticing video of a Marty McFly-style hover board being tested, and the clip quickly went viral. The video features cameos from Tony Hawk, Moby, and who else but Dr. Emmett Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd. In the video, these celebs express their excitement over the new product and a few of them even try it out in a Downtown L.A. parking lot. The video even features former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens catching passes in mid-hover.
The video was officially debunked in a pretty funny way. Los Angeles costume designer Lauren Beidenharn worked on the HUVr Tech video and had posted said credit on her online profile (now removed), indicating that the video was produced by Funny or Die. Pretty hard to keep the ruse going once that intel was out there.
In the realm of hoaxes, this is a pretty good one. The obvious absence of a meaningful scientific explanation causes immediate doubt, but we have to hand it to the production staff: the boards really do look like they are hovering. If it weren’t for the over-acted loss of balance on Terrell Owens’ part, this observer might have fallen for it.
say it’s obvious hoax is silly…i keep seeing people of FB post this clip and claiming how it’s finally here…..yeah, Barnum was right. :\
It was clearly a hoax from the start. No one questioned that, at least I hope. What I don’t understand is Funny or Die’s involvement. It wasn’t funny.
What made it unbelievable right from the get-go was how everyone hovered 2, 3 and even 4 feet above the ground/objects, as opposed to around 6″ as in BTTF.
Plus, I knew it was a full-blown hoax when a) they used Matty Collector (Mattel) boards and b) Tony Hawk had one with rails. I also expected him to try some insane tricks with it. Didn’t happen.
I suppose now I’m expected to believe Nike will make Air Mags with power laces….
Don’t forget Christopher Lloyd talked about filming this video during his interview on the Nerdist Podcast a few months ago.
“In the realm of hoaxes, this is a pretty good one.”
Not really. How easy has it been to fake stuff on what looks like real ‘shaky cam’ footage. Most people with a brain knew this was a hoax the minute they saw it. Seriously. If someone ever figures out Anti-gravity they’ll be instant billionaires…or shot by our government who will take the tech and cover it up. Hover boards are just one of many uses for something like that. Don’t get me wrong. I want a hover board as much as anyone but it’s no where near a reality…yet.
I don’t get what the punchline is. Obvious fake video is obviously fake… but what’s “funny” about it?